


Olly Olly Oxen Free

by raidelle



Series: Raidelle's Alphabet Prompts [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, But Not So Secret After All, Courtship, Fluff, M/M, Promnis in the Background, Secret Admirer, poet!Gladio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 07:34:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15310545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raidelle/pseuds/raidelle
Summary: Noctis has a secret admirer.





	Olly Olly Oxen Free

**Author's Note:**

  * For [roadsoftrial](https://archiveofourown.org/users/roadsoftrial/gifts).



> The prompt was **Bluff** for Gladnoct, set in the Brotherhood era.
> 
> Enjoy reading and please let me know what you think. ^^

_Eyes like starry skies_  
_Do they even see me there?_  
_Standing and waiting_

Another poem. A haiku, Ignis told him with that slight upturn of his lips that qualified for a smile. “It looks to me like you have an admirer, Your Highness.” His teasing eyes met Noctis’s huffy ones in the rearview mirror.

This was the third time in as many weeks that Noctis has found a note slipped into his locker. “Maybe it’s for Lena Kraust. Her locker is next to mine and one of her thousands of admirers got confused,” he wondered out loud, referring to the the campus sweetheart.

"Does Lena Kraust have er, what did it say?” Ignis pretended to not remember. “‘Eyes like starry skies’?”

“Lena’s eyes are brown, Noct,” Prompto said, twisting in his seat to face Noctis.

“Uh, and how do you know her eye color?” Noctis asked, annoyed but hopeful. He couldn’t think of anyone from school who liked him. Well, liked him enough to write a poem -- a haiku -- for him, anyway. But at the same time, he kind of wished there really was someone who would make that kind of effort for him, not as the Prince of Lucis but as Noctis. Just Noctis.

“I might have taken her picture a coupla times. She’s a great photography subject,” Prompto said happily, which earned a side-eye from Ignis.

Noctis detected the slightest hint of jealousy from his advisor, but he’ll let those two sort things out on their own. He had his own love life -- or lack thereof -- to think about.

*****

“Six damnit!” Noctis cursed. He was sprawled on the mats, having been knocked down by Gladio for the fifth time in a row.

The Shield shouldered his practice broadsword. “You okay, princess?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Noctis mumbled as he stood up. He hefted his own practice sword back into a neutral stance and gestured for Gladio to do the same.

Gladio wasn’t having it, though. “Let’s take a break. We won’t get anywhere if you’re distracted.”

Noctis pouted. “No, I’m not.”

“The fact that you’re denying it means you are.” Gladio pointed out. He motioned for Noct to follow him to the bleachers.

“Wow, you sound like Specs,” Noctis said as they sat down on the lowest step, setting their practice weapons on the floor by their feet.

Gladio just raised an eyebrow at that. Noctis heaved a put-upon sigh but gave in eventually. “I found a note in my locker.”

Amber eyes narrowed. “What kind of note? Is someone bothering you? A bully or somethin’?”

“No, nothing like that,” Noctis protested. “It’s a --” He hesitated, not knowing if he should call the poem (haiku, it’s called a haiku!) a love letter. “It’s just a note. Here.”

Noctis reached into his pocket and handed the square piece of blue card stock where the haiku was written.

“Eyes like starry skies…” Gladio quickly read the haiku, his voice a low rumble. “So.” He passed the card back to Noctis.

“So,” Noctis echoed. “What do you think?”

“Well it looks like someone likes you and wrote a poem --”

“A haiku,” Noctis interjected.

“Yes, okay, a haiku,” Gladio looked annoyed at the interruption. “Someone likes you and wrote a haiku about your eyes.”

“Uh yeah, I got that bit,” Noctis said in a smart-alecky tone. “But what about that other parts? ‘Do they even see me there?’ What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, I’m not an expert about this kinda thing --”

“Really? What good are those trashy romance novels for then?” Noctis teased.

“Shut up,” Gladio grumbled. “Anyway, as I was saying, I’m not an expert about this but maybe this person feels that you aren’t seeing him --”

“Him?” Noctis butted in again. “What makes you think it’s a him?”

“What’s so wrong with that? And stop interrupting me!” Gladio complained.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“‘S okay. But yeah, anyway. So maybe this person, whoever he or she is,” Gladio put an emphasis on the second pronoun for Noctis’s benefit. “Maybe they feel like, I dunno. Like you don’t notice them in the way that they want? So it’s definitely someone you know and see often. Maybe your lab partner?”

Noctis frowned. “Prom’s my lab partner and he and Specs have a crush on each other so yeah. Totally not gonna happen.”

Gladio laughed. “Okay, so it’s not your lab partner. Maybe a classmate or your locker neighbor?”

“I don’t…” Noctis racked his brain but couldn’t come up with a name. He’s pretty sure it’s not Lena Kraust, though. “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about someone liking me that way.”

For some reason, and to Noctis’s utter surprise, Gladio looked unbelievably sad at that statement. “Don’t sell yourself short, princess.” Then he stood up, picked up his practice sword to put it back on the weapons rack, and left the training hall. Noctis’s puzzled gaze followed Gladio until the doors swung closed with a soft thud that sounded unnaturally loud in the silence.

*****

_If only you’d look_  
_Within you and beside you_  
_You will realize_

_I am here_

_You are something more_  
_Beyond your name and your crown_  
_I can see your heart_

_I am here_

Another week, another poem. Noctis was both thrilled and vexed. Whoever this admirer was seemed to really like him. They wouldn’t continue writing these sweet words -- and they were really sweet, Noctis had to admit -- for him if they weren’t serious, right? But he really didn’t have any idea who it could be, and not knowing was frustrating him to no end.

With a sigh, Noctis closed his locker and thumped his forehead on the door. Turning dejectedly toward the exit, he caught a view that made his breath hitch in his throat.

It was Gladio, striding toward him with purpose. It’s such a romantic, fanciful cliche, but everything seemed to be in slow motion after that first glance. The afternoon light streaming from the main doors framed the Shield in a golden glow that made him look… Ignis would call it magnificent but it was something more than that. Gladio was here and he was… he was…

“Noct? Are you okay?” Gladio was waving his hands in front of Noctis’s face. “Your Highness?” he said when Noctis didn’t respond.

“It’s… it’s you?” Noctis gasped. He couldn’t believe it. Gladio… liked him? In that way?

“What do you mean it’s me? Of course it’s me. Who’re you expecting?” Gladio looked like he was concerned about the prince’s sanity.

“But it’s…”

“Didn’t you get Iggy’s text?”

“What?” That jolted Noctis out of his daze. “What text?”

“He just told me something came up and if I could pretty please pick you up from school.” Gladio’s shrug was as casual as a shrug could get.

Noctis pulled his phone out from the pocket of his uniform pants. There was indeed a text from Ignis, sent about fifteen minutes before the last bell.

_Hello, Noct. My apologies but I cannot drive you back to your apartment this afternoon. Something important came up that needs my immediate attention. Please wait for Gladio. I have asked him to pick you up instead. Thank you for understanding._

“Are we good to go?” Gladio asked. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Noctis said, and he hated the disappointment that crept into his voice. “Yeah, I’m… I’m good. Let’s go.”

His hand closed around the piece of blue card stock, crushing the tender poem and his few seconds of breathless joy with it.

Gladio looked down at the sound of crumpling paper. The pained expression that crossed his face went by unnoticed.

*****

The following Monday, Noctis opened his locker to find nary a note, not even a single letter, waiting for him. A feeling of gloom settled upon him and persisted the whole day. It only got worse when he noticed that Ignis and Prompto seemed to have reached an understanding about their mutual crush.

They didn’t mention it, of course, but it was there in the lingering touches and soft smiles from Ignis and the stolen, shy glances from Prompto as if he couldn’t believe his luck.

Come dinner, Noctis was in a truly sour mood. He knew he was acting like a petulant kid but he hadn’t realized just how much he’d come to look forward to those poems from his admirer. Whoever he or she was.

“Is something wrong, Noct? You haven’t touched your food at all,” Ignis said, concern in his eyes. “Are you sick?”

“No. Nothing’s wrong. I’m okay.” His voice was dry and hollow. It was pathetic.

Ignis, of course, didn’t let it go at just that. “Your tone seems to indicate otherwise, Noct. Please tell us what’s wrong. Maybe we can help you.”

“It’s nothing, Specs. You can’t help me with this anyway.”

Prompto eyes switched from prince to advisor, as if he was having an internal crisis on who to support. He seemed to decide that Ignis was the safer choice because after a deep breath, he said softly, “Is it because there wasn’t a poem today?”

Ignis gasped. “Oh.”

Noct flared up. “What? How did you even know that? I didn’t tell you. I didn’t tell anyone!” He fought against the tears that threatened to spill. It was really pathetic. His one admirer didn’t think he was worth pursuing after all, and damn it, that hurt more than he wanted to admit.

“Noct,” Prompto began in a placating tone. “Don’t be mad, okay? But I’m the one who put the notes in your locker.”

“What?” Noctis breathed, angry and confused.

“Prompto?” Ignis looked a little hurt.

“No, no. Babe, no.” Prompto clapped a hand to his mouth at the slip of the term of endearment. He cleared his throat before he continued. “You guys are getting the wrong idea. I just put them there because your admirer asked me to, Noct. And I couldn’t say no because… well, because this person really likes you.” Prompto explained, his voice pleading. He glanced at Ignis who, to his relief, smiled and nodded at him in understanding.

“So why didn’t he or she or whoever it just, I don’t know,” Noctis ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “Just say it straight to my face.”

“Maybe, um. Maybe they’re shy?” Prompto hazarded a guess.

Ignis chimed in. “Perhaps this admirer of yours is better at expressing romantic emotions with poetry.”

“But why didn’t… Why wasn’t there something today?” Noctis still couldn’t shake off the sadness. “I liked those poems. I… they’re really sweet and….”

Seeming to take pity on him, Prompto said, “Okay. Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll tell this person that you would like to meet him. Or her. But you must promise me that you won’t get mad at him. Or her. Okay?”

“Why would I get mad at them for liking me?” Noctis’s mood began to settle and now he was more confused than angry.

“Just promise me, okay? I need to know before I tell your admirer,” Prompto insisted.

Ignis studied the exchange carefully and let out an “Oh” of realization.

“So? Noct?” Prompto nudged.

“Okay, fine,” the prince huffed. “I’ll meet whoever it is at Vesper Way Park on Friday, after school. Just drop me off there, Specs.”

Ignis blinked at the abrupt statement but nodded his acquiescence nonetheless. “Of course, Your Highness.”

Noctis blew a sigh that ruffled his bangs and proceeded to attack his now-cold dinner as if it had done him a serious offense. He was so distracted that he didn’t even notice the black beans mixed in the spaghetti sauce.

*****

“So are you excited?” Prompto asked. They were on their way to Vesper Way Park so that Noctis could finally meet this secret admirer of his. Noctis detected some weird combination of emotions from both Prompto and Ignis, but he chalked it up to the oddness of their situation. It wasn’t everyday you dropped off a prince in the middle of a park to meet a suitor, after all.

“I dunno. I’m nervous, that’s for sure. Maybe it’s a prank,” Noctis voiced one of his fears aloud.

“Nope, I can assure you that it isn’t. This person is ‘I would die for you’ levels of serious about you,” Prompto nodded sagely. “So just remember your promise, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I won’t get mad,” Noctis mumbled.

“That doesn’t sound so reassuring, Noct.” Ignis said as he let the Star of Lucis coast to a stop at the entrance of the park. “Are you certain you want to do this? Perhaps Prompto can --”

Noctis’s response was to get out of the car. He looked back for a few seconds to wave goodbye and watch Ignis and Prompto drive away, before squaring his shoulders and stomping toward the bench where he’d said he’d be waiting.

*****

Noctis had intentionally set the meeting at a later time so he could compose himself and maybe think of something to say, so Noctis was quite dismayed to find that someone beat him to the bench.

“Gladio?” He really didn’t want to see Gladio right now. Not after he foolishly thought (or maybe hoped?) that his Shield was the one writing those poems for him. Not now when he was supposed to meet who his admirer really was.

Noctis sighed. Maybe Gladio will leave by the time four o’clock rolled around.

“Hey Noct.”

“Hey. Uh. What are you doing here?” Noctis noted the yellow chrysanthemums sitting beside Gladio on the bench. “Are you, like, waiting for a date or something?”

“Of a sort, yeah.” Gladio said, looking uncharacteristically nervous. “Wanna sit with me?” He gathered the flowers and patted the space beside him.

Noctis really wanted to say no, he really did, but instead he found himself saying yes and sitting down beside his Shield.

The afternoon was balmy but breezy, making fallen leaves and petals swirl around in mini colorful tornadoes. It was fascinating to watch, if Noctis was being honest, and it made the agonizing wait rather bearable. Still, he kept of stealing furtive glances of Gladio, willing him to leave before four o’clock struck. His admirer might get scared away if Gladio was with him.

His watch ticked the minutes away and soon enough, it was four. He swiped his phone and closed his game of Justice Monsters Five, which he wasn’t paying much attention to anyway, before looking up and glancing around for any indication that someone had come to meet him.

Unfortunately, there was no one around except for the two of them and a group of ducks swimming in the man-made lake. Noctis sighed sadly.

And then Gladio sighed, too, and finally broke the silence between them.

“There are things I want.  
There are things I need and crave.  
And then there is you.

My truth and purpose  
Mine to shield, body and heart  
Dare I love as well”

He was looking at Noctis with an intensity that made those amber eyes look golden, the sun shining the same glorious light on Gladio’s features in the same way they did during that fateful afternoon. When Noctis began to look at his Shield as someone… someone to want.

Then Gladio placed the bouquet of chrysanthemums on Noctis’s lap. “Here, these are for you.”

“Gladio?” Noctis was baffled. “You… you…”

“I like you.”

“No you don’t,” he blurted, then blushed at his outburst.

Gladio laughed. “Yes, I do. I like you. Very much.”

“So the poems…” he trailed off, unsure how to continue.

“Yeah, they were from me,” Gladio said simply.

“But I talked to you about them!” In a sudden flare of temper, he whacked Gladio with the bouquet. “And you lied!” _Whack_. “And then you didn’t send one last week!” _Whack_. “What was I supposed to think? I thought you didn’t like me anymore. I felt like… like…” _Whack, whack, whack._

Gladio’s eyes followed the flutter of petals as they fell to the ground. “I’m sorry,” he said.

Noctis closed his hands on what remained of the flowers in a tight grip. He didn’t really know what to say next after his outburst.

“Noct? I’m really sorry about lying to you and not telling you how I felt. I’m an idiot.” Gladio huffed a self-deprecating laugh. “But I’m telling you now. I like you. I really, really like you. Please talk to me.”

Whacking Gladio one more time with the ruined bouquet, Noctis said, “Yeah, you’re an idiot.”

Gladio was looking at him with those intense honeyed gaze again. “I know.”

They lapsed into another bout of silence, heavy with meaning and anticipation. Finally, Noctis reached for Gladio’s hand. “You’re gonna have to buy me some more flowers.”

A brilliant smile bloomed on Gladio’s lips in answer.

**Author's Note:**

> Yellow chrysanthemums mean truth and loyalty. :)


End file.
